


While you were sleeping

by diabla616



Category: Dragon Age
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-11-23
Updated: 2011-11-23
Packaged: 2017-10-26 11:31:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,829
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/282543
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/diabla616/pseuds/diabla616
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Anders spends a great deal of time healing Fenris. Perhaps there's something more to their relationship after all? Kink meme response</p>
            </blockquote>





	While you were sleeping

**Author's Note:**

> So this was in response to a dragonage-kink prompt. If you don't know the kink meme on livejournal I suggest you go find it, there are some awesome stories there.
> 
> The prompt which inspired this was: _With all the battles Hawke drags him into Fenris is constantly getting injured, and has to go to Anders for healing.  
>  After all the time spent healing him Anders becomes very familiar with Fenris' body, as in he has learned about ticklish spots, erogenous zones and other sensitive places.   
> Anders is sick of Fenris' attitude and decides to start using this knowledge against the grumpypants elf whenever he visits the clinic. He does it subtly at first, but over time grows more bold._

Anders tries, and _valiantly_ so too, to be kind and welcoming to all who enter his clinic, even those whose views clash with his own. That is the place of a healer, after all.  
With Hawke this is easy, despite how rarely he agrees with the man. It is much harder to understand the mages plight when one is not a Mage himself.

The elf Hawke insists on trailing after himself though, _Fenris,_ he's a different story all together. Fenris seems to take a perverse pleasure in the suffering of the mages; unlike Hawke who steadfastly refuses to take sides, Fenris has made his own position perfectly clear numerous times, with cutting comments and hissed accusations, even within the sanctity of Anders' own clinic.

Impossible to like then, but Fenris soon proves himself impossible to _avoid_ too, fast becoming one of Hawke's most trusted companions. He doesn't seem to like Anders any better than Anders does him either, scowling and muttering Tevinter curses under his breath on the occasions that Hawke brings him to the darktown clinic.

His is a dangerous line of work, Anders knows, and Hawke's (and consequently Fenris' too) even more so, so he's not particularly surprised when the rogue starts to bring his elvhen companion to the clinic after especially tough battles. There's only so much healing one can do with a poultice after all.  
He is more surprised, however, that Fenris _agrees_ to be healed, he hadn't imagined that the elf would allow himself such vulnerability in front of a mage. Though he attributes the entire party's continued presence in his clinic largely to Hawke's insistence, and says nothing to any one of the man's numerous companions.

Even the best of men can become rude and unruly when in pain, and Fenris is far from the _best,_ so often he's bought into the clinic snarling, and terrifying the rest of Anders' patients. During the worst of these times even Hawke can't temper him at all. There are benefits, however, to treating the elf so often. Even if Fenris himself isn't truly aware of them just yet.

The first time it's unintentional. Hawke has left the elf to his care, though Fenris is unconscious on arrival at the clinic, _thank the maker._ It's been a particularly trying day so far, and Anders doesn't relish the prospect of being left alone with a tense, wounded wild animal.

The lyrium tattoos are beautiful, if he's honest _all_ of Fenris is, and decidedly more so when he's not talking, Anders thinks. Fenris' tattoos stand out against lightly tanned skin, and Anders wants to feel them. He reaches out fingers following the lines of lyrium carved into Fenris' flesh, though he's not touching - even with Fenris unconscious he's not so bold as to be reckless. The elf's slender body is curled away from him on top of the one intact bed which Anders' clinic boasts.

A commotion outside startles him, and his finger slips, barely brushing the delicate loops under Fenris' right ear, though it's enough. He can feel the lyrium _sing_ under his fingertip. Justice stirs restlessly in his mind at the brief touch; _would you look at all that lyrium!_ Anders jerks his hand away as if he's been burnt, it wouldn't do to have Fenris wake to find a _mage_ touching him, after all.

Anders thinks he's hearing things at first; the slight hiss of indrawn breath as Fenris stirs restlessly on the bed is surely a figment of his imagination coupled with the very long hours he's been working recently. He's soon forgotten about it anyway, as more wounded pour into his clinic.

The second time happens a couple of weeks later. He's been travelling with Hawke and Fenris himself, along with the pirate girl Hawke seems to favour so highly (perhaps because she's so free with her affections, though far be it from him to judge.) The battle with a group of bandits catches them unaware in lowtown, and they scrape through, barely, relying on his own magic and several of the foul concoctions designed to boost stamina. The whole party suffers injuries, though Fenris again has borne the brunt of the attacks. At Hawke's suggestion they head to the darktown clinic, and Anders is too exhausted to put up much resistance.

He does, however, take the liberty of casting a sleep spell on Fenris once they enter the clinic. Hawke glares at him, though Anders only offers a shrug in response.

"You know it makes him easier to deal with."

"Perhaps he'd be easier to deal with if you didn't antagonise him so often."

"Perhaps," Anders concedes, "but this way is so much easier."

Hawke and Isabela have sustained minor injuries, though they're relatively easy to treat: Once again it's Fenris who occupies his time, and his bed. This time, with the sleep spell still firmly in place, Anders grows a little bolder. The tattoos (the ones he can see anyway) cover most of Fenris' biceps and chest. Anders traces them lightly, keeping his magic firmly in check, until Justice stirs. A small bolt escapes, before he can get a hold on himself, (or perhaps his spirit), but this draws the same reaction as before from the sleeping Fenris. Anders stops, waiting to see whether the elf will wake, as Fenris shifts, drawing in a breath with a soft hiss. His fingertips linger on Fenris' neck as he waits, though Fenris settles back into the Fade quickly.

It's magic the next time it happens too, just a small bolt from his fingertips as they brush close to one of the looping markings across Fenris' shoulders. This time the reaction is more obvious, a small moan from the prone elf.

Anders smiles to himself. He's always thought there was something more mundane to Fenris' dislike of magic, less a traumatic past than simple jealousy.

Elves without _any_ magic are rare after all, perhaps he simply feels cheated.

He's almost disappointed when a stray bolt after their next battle together doesn't have the same effect, earning him only a glare and a rebuke from the furious elf.

"Keep your magic to yourself mage."

It's not magic then, or not entirely. However he finds that gentle touches without any magic are equally ineffective, Fenris only responds to the combination of physical and magical contact. It's useful to know that, unconsciously at least, Fenris' body is designed to react to magic.

The next few encounters with Fenris continue in the same vein, experimenting with fleeting touches, while Fenris is unconscious (or, on occasion, under a sleep spell) always while Fenris is asleep of course-Anders much prefers his heart _inside_ his chest thank you.

The pulse point beneath his ear seems a particular favourite, while a lazy finger trailed over his shoulders always provokes a positive reaction too. The small of the elf's back is overly sensitive - he's tried that once only to have Fenris hiss in pain and jerk away from the touch. Not so good then.

What is good is that Anders finds often these days he's in a better mood, happy to receive Fenris into his clinic, and just as quick to put him to sleep; "this will make it easier-you heal far better relaxed"

Fenris is suspicious, of course, but more often than not he relents -Anders figures that he doesnt want to be awake for the treatment any more than Anders wants him awake.

There's a marked change in Fenris' behaviour too, these days he's less vicious, and sometimes even reluctantly civil with Anders. Hawke is the first to comment on this, though it's evident that every member of their little party has noticed.

"I don't know what you've done, but thank you for whatever it was Anders."

Anders waves away the man's thanks, but Hawke continues, "I know he's not always easy to deal with, but just know that I _do_ appreciate your efforts." A small smile then, before Hawke continues, "as does he, evidently."

There are negative consequences too, Anders finds himself more aware of Fenris' presence. Often he'll have to tear both himself and Justice out of a reverie, Justice's attention focused on the lyrium tattoos while his own eyes follow taut muscles and tanned skin.

He's brought back to earth particularly unpleasantly one day by Bianca's tip pressing roughly into his side, and Varric shaking his head, "cool it Blondie, don't let the elf catch you staring, unless you really want him to remove that pesky heart from your chest."

After the battle Anders' good mood is crushed further by Fenris snarling that all he'll ever be for any of his efforts is a danger to society.

"So you would have me locked away?" he asks, heart sinking when Fenris nods curtly in response.

This though, this knowledge makes the elf _much_ easier to deal with; knowing that he can be brought down with a whisper of magic brushed over pulse points makes the barbed comments Anders has to endure much easier.

Like this, stripped of his barbed words and vicious retorts, Fenris is breathtaking.

It starts in the same way as all the other times, a soft brush of magic over the tattoos on Fenris' neck, a brief touch to the lines on his chest, but Anders finds he can't stop. Soon he's running his hands over leather clad thighs, and tracing lines along taut biceps, watching as the elf's face softens in pleasure. Fenris sighs in his sleep, and shifts, unconsciously allowing Anders greater access to his body, which Anders takes. Controlling his magic carefully - he doesn't want to hurt Fenris after all-he continues his exploration, listening to the soft moans from Fenris' lips, and watching as the pleasure he's enjoying becomes more evident.  
Eventually Fenris is arching up into his touch, and Anders is considering reaching down to give the elf what his body clearly wants-

" _What_ are you doing?"  
Anders freezes as Fenris' eyes snap open, there's a brief flare of blue along the length of his tattoos, but the elf's eyes are wide and dark, his breathing heavy. He can tell the exact moment when Fenris decides that he's more useful alive for the moment, sees it flashing through those green eyes, and heaves a sigh of relief.

"I-" Fenris silences him then with a shake of his head,

"I don't want to know. I should _kill_ you for touching me."

"But you won't," Anders responds, sounding more confident than he feels in the face of Fenris' anger, "then you'd miss out on just how good I can make you feel."

"Do not _think_ ; of mentioning this to anyone" Fenris hisses at him.

Anders smiles back, "trust me, I don't plan to."

At this Fenris shakes his head, the barest glimpse of a smile on his lips, "trust you? Not at all. Though I suppose I _could_ tear your heart out of your chest should I need to, so you may continue.  
For now."

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Their Little Secret](https://archiveofourown.org/works/363507) by [Moontyger](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Moontyger/pseuds/Moontyger)




End file.
